William J. Sharkey’s Not-so-great Escape

Aug 13, 2025

Dive into the colorful tale of William J. Sharkey, a man with a career that spanned pickpocketing to politics. His life takes a dark turn when a murder charge questions his intentions. The courtroom dynamics reveal conflicting testimonies and the drama surrounding his first-degree murder conviction. Sharkey's audacious escape, aided by his partner, adds a thrilling twist. Meanwhile, his mysterious vanishings during travels create even more intrigue, blending tales of crime, justice, and unexpected basketball drama.

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ANECDOTE

From Pickpocket To Political Operative

William J. Sharkey rose from pickpocketing to political influence through Tammany Hall connections in New York City. He later returned to crime after falling out of favor and became entangled in gambling enterprises that set up his fatal dispute.

ANECDOTE

Gambling Losses Spark Fatal Confrontation

Sharkey lost heavily running a Farrow Bank card game in Buffalo then invested $600 in Robert Dunn's similar venture. After Dunn lost the money and failed to repay him, Sharkey shot and killed Dunn in a saloon.

INSIGHT

Intent Clouded By Conflicting Witnesses

Witness testimony offered mixed accounts that blurred intent versus accident, centering on whether Sharkey's pistol discharged during a demonstrative chopping gesture. Many witnesses described intoxication and prior joking intimacy, complicating clear conclusions about deliberate murder.

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William J. Sharkey was a pickpocket, a con man, a politician, and a murderer, though whether or not that murder was an accident became the question at the center of a case that gripped New York for months. And then, he vanished. Sort of.

Research:

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“Trial of William J. Sharkey … “ New York Daily Herald. June 21, 1873. https://www.newspapers.com/image/329612596/?match=1&terms=William%20J.%20Sharkey
“Why Is the Manhattan House of Detention Called the Tombs?” The New York Historical. https://www.nyhistory.org/community/manhattan-house-of-detention
“Wm. J. Sharkey’s Escape.” The Sun. June 23, 1879. https://www.newspapers.com/image/78200292/?match=1&terms=maggie%20jourdan

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